THE 2022 GRAND NATIONAL RUNNERS & ODDS

Every year a maximum of 40 runners line up at the start of the Aintree Grand National and 600 million people worldwide tune in to watch them tackle the 30 notoriously difficult fences in a bid to put themselves into the history books. But how do those particular runners and riders make it to Grand National day?

A horse will be entered into the Grand National 2022 if it meets the minimum criteria for qualification and the owner and trainer feel that their horse is capable of handling the race. Not all horses are suited to the long Aintree course or have the necessary jumping ability. Even if a horse gets entered that doesn’t guarantee a place at the starting line as frequently over 100 get entered but there is a maximum field of just 40 for the race.

The race is open to horses aged seven and upwards that have been placed first, second, third or fourth in a chase of three miles or more and who are allotted a rating of at least 125 by the BHA Handicapper.

The entry date for the race is always at the end of January, with the names and numbers announced by the BHA (British Horseracing Authority) the following day.

Number Of Entries

• 2021 – 106
• 2020 – 105 (cancelled)
• 2019 – 112
• 2018 – 105
• 2017 – 110
• 2016 – 126
• 2015 – 98

The BHA Head Of Handicapping then takes the list of entries and frames the weights. In other words, he decides which runners will carry the heaviest weights and which will carry the least. The handicap system is designed to give every horse a fair chance of winning the race, good horses will carry more weight than those perceived to have less ability.

The maximum weight any horse can carry in the Grand National will be 11st 10lbs and the minimum is 10st. Each runner’s weight will be largely determined by their OR (Official Rating) and the higher the rating, the higher the weight. Although the Grand National is the only race in Britain in which the Handicapper can ignoring the official ratings if he wishes, often to the consternation of owners and trainers.

Horses are then put in descending order from the highest to the lowest weighted and that also determines their race number. The top-weighted horse is number one, second heaviest weighted horse is number two, and so on.

The weights are then announced, and from then on a series of ‘Declaration Stages’ or ‘Forfeit Stages’ take place. At each of these stages, potential Grand National Runners can be withdrawn from the proceedings by their trainers and as they are removed and the entries get whittled down so even horses that have not initially made the Top 40 may now do so as entries above them are taken out. In 2021 there were three top weighted runners. However, Easysland and Tiger Roll were withdrawn, leaving Bristol De Mai as the only top weight in the race.

The very last declaration stage takes place at 10am on the Thursday immediately before Grand National day. This is the point where the top 40 Grand National runners will be near completion along with four additional reserves.

The following day, Friday, by 1pm any non-runners must be declared and be replaced by one of the four reserves. This is also the point where any horses who were previously allocated weights of less than 10st will have their weight increased to meet requirements.

Three runners were withdrawn at this stage in 2018 and replaced with reserves. However, on the morning of the National two more were taken out due to the heavy ground. This resulted in 38 declared Grand National runners who lined up.

Unfortunately in 2020, the race was cancelled and did not go ahead. In 2021, no runners were withdrawn at the very final stage and 40 runners ran.

There has to be a Top Weight for the Grand National and that runner will always carry 11st 10lbs. For 2021 there were THREE horses that were all allocated top weight. They were Bristol de Mai, Easysland and Santini.

The BHA Handicapper has worked off a mark of 167 and it’s no surprise that these three potential runners had been rated so highly. This is Bristol De Mai‘s fourth consecutive Grand National entry. He was entered in 2018 and allocated 11-09 in weight but connections opted to run him in the Aintree Bowl instead.

The same story was repeated in 2019 when he was given top weight for the National but again, ran in the Bowl Chase instead. He was entered in 2020 but that race didn’t happen so here we are again in 2021. Will he finally run in the Grand National?

It looks much more likely this year especially as he was withdrawn from Gold Cup contention. Even his usual jockey, Daryl Jacob, has hinted that the plan is to go to the National.

Easysland was another huge prospect for the Grand National 2021. The horse that romped home in the Glenfarclas Chase in 2020, leaving Tiger Roll in his dust, was always going to be touted for this race.

Trained in France, Easysland was at a slight disadvantage in that he is only seven years old and horses that young have quite a poor track record in the National. The last one to win it was Bogskar in 1940. So top weight and age may have proved tricky to overcome.

As such, trainer David Cottin withdrew him from contention at the second declaration stage. He will not run in the Grand National 2021.

Santini is a terrific chaser and best known for his 2020 Gold Cup run when he lost by a neck to Al Boum Photo. In all, he has won or placed in eight of his ten chase starts.

The nine-year-old has notched up notable runs in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham and was second in the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree in December.

So while the prospect of him running the Grand National is very exciting, it is still not confirmed.

Connections opted for a run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup but it didn’t end as hoped when he blundered early on. That saw him drop to the rear of the field before he was pulled up about halfway through the race.

So with two top weights still in contention, it’s unlikely that there will be a major overhaul in the weights.

Then again Bristol De Mai could go for the Aintree Bowl and Santini could end his season early…anything can happen in the Grand National!

With a great record, on excellent form, and with a very enviable weight, it is no surprise that Cloth Cap from trainer Jonjo O’Neill is the 2021 Grand National favourite.

So how exactly did Cloth Cap manage to become the bookmaker’s favourite for this year’s race? He entered his first Novice Handicap Chase in October 2018 and finished a respectable third. A month later and he had won his first chase, a Class 4 race at Stratford.

Three weeks later and he was back for another win, this time in a Class 3 at Catterick. Clearly the signs were good and after a short break Cloth Cap headed to Ayr for the Scottish National in April 2019. Run over four miles, he finished in third place and from then on sights were firmly set on Aintree.

With the dawn of the 2019/20 National Hunt season, he took his chances at a few racecourses, running well and slowly growing his Official Rating. He was entered into the 2020 Grand National and then headed to Cheltenham for the Kim Muir Challenge Cup as part of his prep for Aintree.

Another clear round of jumping landed him in 8th place. However, it was then decided that the 2020 National would be cancelled so the season abruptly ended and Cloth Cap’s plans were put on the back burner.

With the aim of Aintree still first and foremost in the mind of connections, Cloth Cap started back this season with a run at Cheltenham placing third behind the winner Frodon and second-place West Approach.

And then everything clicked into place for the nine-year-old. Winning the Ladbrokes Trophy Chase at Newbury boosted not only his credentials but his OR to a respectable 148, high enough to qualify for the 2021 Grand National. It also earned connections a huge £114K for their efforts.

Another Grand National entry was on the cards and soon Cloth Cap, on the back of the Newbury win, became one of the Grand National favourites in the betting markets.

He still had some competition but once the weights came out and he was handed 10-05, and Tiger Roll was withdrawn, he was on a par with Burrows Saint from Willie Mullins, both on general odds of 14/1.

Then Kelso beckoned. On March 6th 2021 he took to the 2m7f course with gusto and romped home by an incredible 7 lengths to take the race with ease. In the time it took him to get to the winner’s enclosure, bookies scrambled to slash his odds to as a little as 6/1.

Owned by Trevor Hemmings, if Cloth Cap can win the 2021 Grand National it will be the owner’s fourth win in the race. Hedgehunter (2005), Ballbriggs (2011) and Many Clouds (2015) have all won the race for Hemmings and Cloth Cap might just do it again.

If so, it will be Jonjo O’Neill’s second win in the race as a trainer after Don’t Push It in 2010. Tom Scudamore will undoubtedly be his jockey as he hopes to keep the family legacy alive and emulate his own grandfather’s achievements – Michael Scudamore won on Oxo in 1959.

Cloth Cap went off as the 2021 Grand National favourite however, he couldn’t go the full distance and was pulled up at fence 28.

The criteria for professional or amateur jockeys wanting to take part in the race are very specific. They must have ridden not less than 15 winners in chases or hurdle races under the Rules of Racing and/or the Rules of the Irish National Hunt Committee and ridden not less than 10 of these winners in chases.

A champion jockey like A.P. McCoy who primarily rode horses for super owner J.P. McManus had his pick of horses in the race before he retired. Top jockey Barry Geraghty took over as the retained rider for McManus but announced his retirement in July 2020. Since then Mark Walsh has been named as the retained rider for the McManus horses in Ireland.

The likes of Davy Russell and Richard Johnson are other top jockeys who can often choose their rides and odds will tumble on any horses chosen by the pair.

Amateur jockeys are now a rarity in the Grand National compared with races early days. Sam Waley-Cohen is probably the most famous amateur rider in recent years and he enjoys a record over the Aintree fences which is the envy of many a professional.

Other jockeys will usually ride for the yards that retain them or a trainer will engage their services just for this race. In recent years a number of high profile jockeys have missed the race due to injuries picked up at the Cheltenham festival which is the last major National Hunt meeting before Aintree.

In 2018, Ruby Walsh suffered a leg fracture and Leighton Aspell suffered a neck injury that put them out of contention for the Grand National. Bryony Frost experienced the same fate in 2019 when an injury at Cheltenham ruled her out of the National.

Don’t be put off backing a less well-known jockey or even one who has never ridden the course before. In 2013 jockey Ryan Mania won the race at his first attempt. And David Mullins did the same thing on Rule The World in 2016!

In 2018 we saw a number of jockeys making their debut. They included James Bowen, Bryony Frost, Sam Coltherd, and Rachael Blackmore. Bryony Frost was the best finisher, getting Milansbar to fifth place.

In the Grand National 2019, Lizzie Kelly made her debut on Tea For Two.

By the end of the Grand National 2021, history had been made. Rachael Blackmore and Minella Times ran the perfect race, making Blackmore the first female jockey to ever win the Grand National.